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| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
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"The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury"
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Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
Science Fiction
|
| Video: |
1.85:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
Surround 5.1 |
| Languages |
English |
| Subtitles |
English,
Spanish, French |
| Length |
35 minutes
|
| Rating |
NR |
| Release Date |
6/15/04 |
| Studio |
Universal
Home Video |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
"From Pitch Black to
The Chronicles of Riddick: Bridging the Gap", "Peter Chung-The
mind of an Animator", "Into the Light" |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
"Animatic
to Animation" |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Vin Diesel,
Keith David, Rhiana Griffith, Roger j. Jackson, Tress Macneille,
Dwight Schultz, Nick Chinlund |
| Written
By: |
Brett Matthews
Based on a Story by David Twohy |
| Produced
By: |
Jae Y. Moh
and John Kafka |
| Directed
By: |
Peter Chung
|
| Music:
|
Machine Head
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| The
Review: |
Director Peter Chung ("Van Helsing:
The London Assignment", "The Animatrix", "Aeon Flux") returns
to create a "mini" sequel to one of Universal Studios' major
Summer release films. "Dark Fury" chronicles the five years
between the film "Pitch Black" and the summer blockbuster
release "The Chronicles of Riddick". Shortly after escaping
the planet they were trapped on in "Pitch Black", Riddick
and the other two survivors Imam and Jack are captured by
a "Merc" (i.e., a bounty hunters) ship and Riddick is forced
by the commander of the ship to fight against soldiers and
a wide variety of nasty aliens. If he fails or doesn't comply,
his two friends will be killed. ***
An anime delight made for adult
science fiction fans, "Dark Fury" probably should have been
rated R for language and violence but, somehow, escaped without
any rating at all. Perhaps Universal never submitted it to
the ratings board because the plan was to release this direct
to video from the beginning. Either way, parents may want
to be aware of this fact. The sharply directed animation covers
up a fairly routine story that isn't as inventive as "Pitch
Black" or its sequel "The Chronicles of Riddick". Still, it's
an enjoyable adventure and worth watching if you're a fan
of either film. With the participation of the main cast from
"Riddick" and Peter Chung's name, "Dark Fury" already has
a build in audience ready for it. It's curious that it came
out after "Chronicles" as it didn't allow the film to build
on the anticipation of the film and initial success at the
box office. ---
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| Image
and Sound: |
The great
use of colors, textures and shadows by Chung in his work here
doesn't go to waste. This single layer DVD looks sharp with
excellent clarity, accurate color reproduction and little to
no digital blemishes to mar the picture. The 5.1 sound mix gets
used very well although most of the action does occur in the
primary channels. --- |
| The
Extras: |
Three excellent
featurettes are provided and, although two are really no more
than promos for the movie "Chronicles", they're well put together.
The best of the extras are "Peter Chung-The Mind of an Animator"
where we get to see the creative process that Chung uses to
make some of his unusual films. "Animatic to Animation" actually
explores the process from previsualization to the final product
and, as such, is a interesting glimpse into a rough draft
to the final work.
|
| Commentary:
|
No commentary
track although it might have been interesting to hear Diesel
or film director Twohy's comments as well as Chung on this short
film. |
| Final
Words: |
A clever,
well directed animated sequel to "Pitch Black" that sets the
stage for the second film "Chronicles", "Dark Fury" doesn't
have much of a script but the action sequences, production design
and direction make it worthwhile to watch for fans. There's
a pretty decent assortment of extras provided. The picture and
sound quality is top notch. |
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